Process for making rubber printing-press blankets.



e; KUSH. PROCESS FOR MAKING RUBBEKPRINTING PRESS BLANKBTS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEBJO, 1912. I v v v M396 1 1 Pateuted may 1?, 1914.

WITNESSES ilvllfd lllll laii GUSTAVE RUSH, 01? NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented buy It 2, 193%.

Application filed February 10, 1912. Serial No. 676,375.

To of]? whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Gtfs mvu Kisn, a 'L'lllzen of the United States, and resident of' :tlunhattan, city, county, and State of New York. have invented a certain new, useful, and Improved Process for Making Rubber Printing-Press Blankets, of which the following is a, s1 ecitication.

My intention relates particularly to a process which is adapted to be used by the operato in connection with the printing press whereby it is possible. when a new blanket is required to construct it in the press room from pieces of surface material and of backing material cut from stocks of these materials kept on hand for the purpose. My process also enables one by simple and in xpensive methods to resurface one of the blankets made as above or to apply a new vulcanized rubber surface member to an old blanket of ordinary construction by applying and attaching the new surface member to the back of, the old blanket, the entire work being done in the press room. My process may be used to prepare or resurface printers. lithogiaphers, otfsct and newspaper blankets of all kinds where when wor ng surface becomes defective, the blanket becomes useless, and with the old style blanket is discarded unless repaired at great expense at the factory.

The acconmanying drawings indicate steps in my process-for resurfacing old or constructing new blankets.

Figure 1 indicates one method of attachlog of the unvulcanized rubber sheet to the backing member; Fig. 2 indicates placing the new Yulcanized rubber surface member on the unvulcanized rubber sheet on the backing l11!11l)tuand Fig. 3 indicates in section the blanket attached to the cylinder and under pressure in the press.

For preparing new press blankets my procum may be carried out as follows: The operator takes a strip or section of the backing material A, which may consist of one or more layers of cotton or other suitable. fabric. vulcanized together in the usual manner, cuts it to the proper length and width, cleans one face thereof by thoroughly washing with turpentine, benzin or other fluid adapted for the purpose, A sheet B of pure rubl r. unx'ulcanized, is the out to the size desire for the blanket surface and one face ughiv softened washing with turtinc, benzin or other suitable fluid. outer face of the unvulcanized rubber sheet pentine, benziu or other suitable solvent, and

placed in contact with the cleaned surface of the backing member A, after which the rubber sheet is [n'cssedinto adhering contact by any suitable means as by a hand roller C, indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The vulcanized rubber surface member D is then prepared by cutting the proper width and length from a stock of surface material which has been made in the usual manner from one or more layers of suitable fabric,

such as long staple cotton cloth covered with new rubber, shee ed, spread and calender-ed, plated and vulcanized after being brought to the desired or any suitablethickness. The back face of the surface member D is then thoroughly cleaned by washing with turpen- B, secured as previously described. to the backing member A, is now softened by the application of turpentine, benzin or other solvent and the surface member is placed with its cleaned back face D in contact With the tacky face of the unvulcanized rubber sheet B. then placed on the cylinder l) of the printing press and the press is started thereby subjecting the blanket on the cylinder E to uniform pressure from the printing rollers such as F in Fig. 2). A sheet of paper is run through the press, at the same time, to facililate the proper seating of the surface member under the pressure of the printing rollers. The new blanket 15 thus completed and ready for use 1n' the press.

Rubber )ress blankets, made in the usual' well known way have the backing and surface members united and vulcanized at the factory. If the surface of such blankets become creased, pitted Or otherwise defective in use they no longer meet the requirements for perfect work and must be discarded and a new blanketsubstituted. As such blankets are expensive and at most, usually last only a few months before it becomes necessary to replace them, my process hereinbefore described may be utilized to reduce expenses by enabling the operator to construct or resurface the blanket as desired. For instance, if the surface member I) of the blanket constructed according to my process becomes sarred or defective, it may be re-, moved by softening the layer of unvulcanized rubber ll and thereafter repeat my The The blanket thus assembled, is

CJI

canized rubber press blanket as usually constructed. do no'teocomplish this by taking 011? the old surface member, for as prenously pointed out. this cannot be done satisfactbrily except by expensive methodsat the factory, but I merely turn the old blanket over and secure the new surface member to the hack face thereof. In this operation the old blanket, with the face of its cloth backing of unvulcenized rubber B is then secured to the cleaned hack of the old blanket by moist-ening one face of the rubber sheet with turpentine, benzin. or other solvent spreading it over the cleaned surface and; pressing it into close adhering contact; by rolling it smooth with the hand roller as indicated 111 Fig. 1 or by other stumble device. Av new surface member D of the desired thickness is then prepared and .its back :tece cleaned as herembefore (lescnbed, and continuing .my process, the new surface member may then be secured; to the old blanket. in the manner previously described. That is. the face of the unvulcanizecl rubber sheet is softened and the cleeneu face of the new vulcanized rubber. surface member mounted thereon after which the blanket. is mounted on the cylinder of the printing with its old rubber surface in contact. with the cylinder, and the press stertetl, :2. sheet of paper being run throughas previously, whereby umform pressure is applied to the new surface member,'en.cl the oltl blanket is converted into a serviceable blanket with anew surface From theoperetion ofmy process as herein (lescribecl. it will readily be umierstoorl that as often as desireol, a new surface member may beettechecl to the old blanket :is a. backing member by softening the unvulcenized rubber sheet with a suitable solvent; so as to remove the detective surface member and. then repeat the process for attaching a. new surface member. Preferably the unvul canized rubber sheet is first attached to the backing member but, obviously it mightbe attached to the other member or to both at the same time; and since my gsrocess may one of said cleeneirfeces by in. suitable rQlEer sor-t/emug the other thereon the cleenecl "face of the other u be carried out by the operulors in the g roonn the saving of time and expense use is readily eppercne.

M Y process isapplicable for constru or renewing-rubber press blenlzc as l for many difibi'tinb atypes oi pritt other presses and rerlatitms may be to Without (lepmrring from the sp scope of my invention pended claims.

lug: press blankets which come. a vulcanized rubber mes bucking member by first-treating me:- back: surface of the rulcenieecl member :uul surface of the backing member with :1 clc; a ing fluid, then bringing the two surfaces into juxtaposition upon a. sheet. of? unvul ized rubber which has just been treated elm e fluid adapted to soften it end reneler it adhesive and then. subjectingthe hlm'zlret, to uniform pressure between cold rollers.

9.. The process of resurfacing: ruhher gir inting press-blankets which consists in securing a. new vulcanized rubber sur fuce member to the buclz surface of 12 old hlerW by suitably cleaning the back :tuce new surface member and the heck the old blanket, interposing betw. cleaned faces 2;. sheet. of unvulcanizod previously softened and rendered ml by the application of o. suitable 'lluirl smrl. then securing the blanket in the pr press and subjecting it to uniform. pre.

3. The process of resurfacing rubber printing press blankets which consists in securing a. new vulcanized rubber surfecenuaur her to the back surface of an old blzmltes by suitably cleaning the back face of the new eur face member and the heck face of the old blanket, softenin end rendering adhesive by 2:. suitable fiui one trace of a sheet. of unvulcenized rubber and securing the t the unyulcenizecl rubher sheet. and glu i bcr and then securing the blanket. iothc printing press and subyectmg it to umfomu pressure. I

.lntestlmouy whereof, it hereunto set. my hand in the presence of two subscmblug witnesses.

Gllfi AVE hill/SH. Witnesses:

M. H. Loouwcon, Er ol-"Tu A. KuuLrueeo-K.

- .lllli 

